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The challenge of attracting overseas travellers

Americans and Canadians are being encouraged to visit South Australia with cheap flights to Adelaide in a new campaign with
Air New Zealand.

Tourism Minister, Mr Leon Bignell says the flights mean North Americans can come and explore South Australia at an affordable price.

It is only natural to imagine Americans and Canadians would want to experience the sight of our wildlife or sample some of our world class Barossa wines and delicious local food as well
as checking out our stunning coastline and outback landscapes.

Because the Americans and Canadians enjoy
a lifestyle similar to Australians and we speak pretty much the same language, there are a lot of natural similarities which one would think should make the State Government’s latest announcement wonderful for Barossa tourism.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. On visiting both America and Canada, even in recent times, The Leader editor, Mr Tony Robinson has discovered that the vast majority of Americans don’t even hold a passport. Sadly the statistics for Canadians isn’t that much better, and most rarely ever in their lifetime leave the shores of North America.

Whilst Australians would think nothing of hopping on the first plane out of the country to almost any destination, Americans and Canadians see our around 20 hour flight as a little like a trip to the moon – it is just too far away from them in travelling time.

One Canadian Mayor even told Tony he wouldn’t even consider coming to Australia.
Firstly because of the long flight over and then the fact we have dangerous snakes and crocodiles. He had such a fear of crocodiles that he even thought with his luck in Australia he would probably find one in his bath tub.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard spent millions of dollars on an American promotion during her term of office.